Dennis Moore: “Mr. Schiff, the distinguished gentleman from California, I want to thank you for your leadership in putting together…”

“Mr. Schiff, the distinguished gentleman from California, I want to thank you for your leadership in putting together this little seminar and this presentation this evening on national security and how important it is for our country. I want to talk for just a few minutes about the importance of national security in the context of energy independence for our Nation. Some of our viewers this night, Mr. Schiff, will be old enough to remember back in the late 1970s there was a gentleman by the name of Jimmy Carter who was President of United States. And one night President Carter was sitting addressing the people of America on national television. He had on a cardigan sweater. He was sitting in front of the fireplace and talking about the long lines at the gas pumps. And he was talking about the need for our country to develop energy independence and a comprehensive energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I think President Carter was right then, and I faulted every Republican and Democrat since President Carter for not doing what he said we needed to do back then. And especially, since September 11 of 2001, and 5 years into this administration we still are very dependent, heavily dependent on foreign oil, and we need to find for America energy independence. And I think this is no longer just a concern about long lines at the gas pumps or the high cost per gallon of gasoline.…”